Monday, January 28, 2013

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Announce Short U.S. Tour

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO) who are celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2013, have just announced a rare mini U.S. tour that will include two performances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013 on Friday April 12th and Friday April 19th, as well as a stop in New York City on Sunday April 28th at Stage 48 with opening sets by Dave Hilyard and The Rocksteady 7 and The Pandemics (led by Bigger Thomas trombonist Chris Malone). I suggest if you live anywhere near New York City and you want to catch TSPO at Stage 48 (which is a relatively intimate venue), that you get your tickets before the show sells out (I already have mine!).

Founded 25 years ago by two of the original members who bonded over a Gaz Mayall ska cassette tape in a Tokyo record store, the 10 piece band have gone on to create their own unique version of Jamaican dance music, that includes rock, punk, jazz, surf, pop, with a heavy dose of mad stage antics. TSPO has grown from a fervent cult fan base into one of the most influential and respected bands in Japan and of the global ska music scene. Their massive repertoire includes 17 studio albums, 35 singles and many DVDs, compilations, soundtracks, members' side projects, countless TV appearances and multiple collaborations with some of Japan's biggest names in music.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the band, this snippet says it all really:

"Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra are legendary, essential, and flawless. They don't make mistakes. They are a robot of skank sent from the future to teach us how to get down. Ten lions, one god. Ska music. "

As a special treat, check out a nearly two and half hour plus live TSPO show from late 2011. Its incredible from both the band and the tireless Japanese fans who dance in unison for the entire show!

I flew from Iowa to NYC to catch their show at stage 48. My 30th B-day was the day after so I couldn't help but treat myself to my favorite ska band in the world! They put on a fantastic show, just wish I could remember their set-list. Totally worth a trip across the country to see them play!

Who Is Marco On The Bass?

I heard ska and reggae music for the first time when I was 14 and it was love at first listen. I loved the sound, the look and the energy. It changed my life. A little bit later I picked up a bass and taught myself to play and in 1988 started the first ska/reggae band from New Jersey called Bigger Thomas. We are still together 25 years later. Maybe you've heard of us? No worries if you haven't! We've released 4 albums and toured the U.S and Canada a few times. As a musician I've had the good luck to meet and play with most of my musical heroes. That allows me to give readers the inside scoop on all the bands they love. I also tell the stories of the many bands who helped popularize ska in the U.S. and the U.K. I pay special attention to the birth of American ska and the stories of the bands and musicians who were ahead of their time and never received the recognition they deserved. I recently helped to form a new musical project titled Rude Boy George that performs ska, reggae and rocksteady versions of 80's new wave songs. We just released a 5-song EP titled "Take One" that is available on all digital platforms. I also just released my first solo album "Big Power."

Rude Boy George - Confessions -- New Wave Goes Ska!

80's New Wave Goes Ska! Confessions is Rude Boy George's way of paying tribute to the new wave tunes that meant the most to them when they were growing up. The nine songs they chose to cover were selected from the many they knew and loved and all were originally recorded between 1981 and 1983 — a period that corresponded with the explosion of 2-Tone ska , reggae and new wave on the radio, MTV and in 80's movies. The songs were produced by ex-English Beat bassist Wayne "Waylo" Lothian and feature the toasting of former English Beat vocalist Antonee First Class. So, if you like the idea of some of your favorite 80s new wave songs wrapped in a loving ska and reggae embrace, give their versions a spin.
Confessions by Rude Boy George

Marco On The Bass Releases 10-Song Album "Big Power" for FREE download

The inspiration for these 10 songs comes from my love of all things ska and reggae, but I also wanted to pay my respects to DJ culture and artists like Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim, Beats International), Gorillaz (Damon Albarn) and Acid Ska and Big Beat studio artists (Longsy D, Basement Jaxx) who have created unique and entertaining mash-ups that mix sampled vocals and found sounds over traditional reggae and ska bass, guitar and drums.
Since I'm not a singer, I utilize the borrowed vocal talents of many others as my stand in. This gives me a chance to also pay my respects to artists I love and have influenced me. You will hear Joe Strummer and LKJ as well as snippets of Terry Hall and Neville Staples of The Specials and Dave Wakeling of The English Beat, along with Malcolm X, Chuck D, Craig David, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and numerous reggae artists from the 60's and 70's.
So without further ado, I present to you 'Big Power' for your FREE downloading pleasure. All comments (good, bad or indifferent) are welcome!
Big Power by Marco On The Bass

The Best of Bigger Thomas Now Available!

To celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2013, Bigger Thomas released "Ska In My Pocket: The Biggest & Bestest of Bigger Thomas" a digital only retrospective featuring twenty one of our favorite songs taken from the four albums and two demo tapes we have recorded since forming the band in New Brunswick, NJ in 1988. Its available for download on the Bandcamp link below. We hope you enjoy it!

BIGGER THOMAS & RUDE BOY GEORGE LIVE!

Want to see Marco On The Bass perform with Bigger Thomas (New York 2-Tone Skalypsoul) or Rude Boy George (ska, reggae and rocksteady versions of 80's new wave songs)? Below is a list of each band's upcoming shows: